THE EXTREMIS EFFECT
by Gingerfloss
Summary: There's something Pepper's keeping secret from the most important man in her life. Based after the events of IM3. If you haven't seen the film, DO NOT read this, there are huge SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS.
1. Prelude

My world has changed more in the last few days than it ever has before. Of course there have been alien invasions and attacks before. Apart from the one in New York, there was the trouble with Stane and then Hammer, not to mention making friends with the Avengers. Usually the attacks and the aliens focused on Tony Stark, I was just standing in the background and keeping the company together, it's been me mopping up his wounds and cleaning up the messes when he comes home. This time was different, this time the nightmares came after me.

I can't sleep. I can't eat. Nothing's been the same since Extremis and "I can't protect the one thing I can't live without."

Before I set it on fire.

Tony said those words to me so flippantly, as if they were just a statement of fact. He can't live without me. It's probably true, he doesn't remember his social security number or his own phone number, nor can he cook or clean but to me, it meant more than I love you. He's said I love you to a lot of things, his whiskey, his bots, JARVIS, the car; I could keep going with the list of inanimate objects that Mr Stark loves. I've never wanted to be another object, another thing he just 'has', but his declaration to me was the thing keeping me strong whilst I was strapped down waiting for him to save my life.

He's never realised it's exactly the same for me. I need him just as much as he needs me. Without Tony Stark and everything he's done for me, I would still be just another office girl like I was before he met me. True, I can look after myself, a multi-billion dollar company and two cats, but emotionally there is nobody else who can make me feel that way. I've had boyfriends, girlfriends, been engaged a couple of times and made more mistakes with my relationships that Tony has, but every time it's all come back to the same thing, I am in love with my boss.

I need him just as much as he needs me, and there's nothing that can change that.

Unless this thing I'm full of really does take over. Tony thinks I'm okay, he thinks he's gotten rid of the virus and I'm back to being his honey. I daren't tell him it didn't work. I can feel the stuff inside me, it's like fire constantly waiting inside my body, ready to burst the moment that someone gets too close or tries to touch me. My temper seems to have a lot to do with how well I can control it, when the smallest thing frustrates me, my skin starts to burn the colours of fire, but I can't feel it. I can't really feel anything.

I'm going to have to work out how to control it. I don't want to become one of the things that my boyfriend wakes up screaming about in his sleep. Tony is still having nightmares, but so am I. He wakes up shaking and shouting for me, but it's not as bad as it used to be. At least now he doesn't summon the armour in his sleep anymore, since he destroyed it all whilst holding me in his arms. That moment was so perfect; I was safe for the very first time. He makes me feel safe; even though I do nothing but worry about him, it does make me even crazier about him.

I wish I could sleep without dreaming of that night. Burning flesh and metal and me. I don't even really remember what I was doing. I just remember the sound of metal on what was once flesh, and the weight of the thing in my hands, suddenly replaced by the cold metal of the Ironman armour.

I can see why Tony needs that stuff. The sudden rush of power it gives you, and the feeling of being protected by something so strong. Now I understand what's addictive about being a superhero. I should really get myself one.

Or I should talk Tony back into building one to keep himself safe from what I've become.

I'm the creature from his nightmare. And I don't know how to stop it.

I don't think I can.

{{Extract from The Diary of Virginia Potts. January 2014}}


	2. Motion

mo·tion (mshn)n.

1. The act or process of changing position or place.

2. A meaningful or expressive change in the position of the body or a part of the body; a gesture.

3. Active operation: set the plan in motion.

* * *

The house in Malibu had been declared completely unfit to live in, there was no house to live in, just empty space after Killian's men had destroyed it so readily. It had been one of the first things that they'd both agreed on in a long time. The first few days were spent living between hotels and department stores (when Pepper had insisted that he needed something to wear that wasn't covered in blood and grime, and that she couldn't live in a sports bra and ripped pants any longer) until they'd both come on the conclusion that it was time to move.

The Avengers tower seemed like the most suitable place to go, at least until they could get their own home back in L.A. Tony had consented to sell off the land the original house had been built on before his girlfriend had had to ask, signing away the land to a development company. Technically the tower that Stark had had built in the middle of Manhattan was still their property, it just happened to house superheroes as well as the reminder of Stark International and more R&D labs (in Pepper's opinion, it couldn't be a Stark Building unless it had some sort of research lab hiding inside it.)

Part of why Tony wanted to get away so quickly was to make SHIELD shut up about leaving himself with no protection out in the open and how he and Miss Potts should be in their custody until they had managed to debrief them properly about what happened. Since everything that had happened, it seemed that everyone wanted to know the details, and suddenly what had been a frankly messy attempt to save his partners life using half a hardware store and a stolen gun had become an epic battle between himself and the Mandarin. He still couldn't quite say the name without smiling; that should have given it away in the first place; respectable super-villians didn't name themselves after fruit. No matter how many time Pep insisted that it was something mystical and Chinese he still believed Killian had just looked in a fruit bowl and decided on it.

"He could have always been named the Banana." Tony pointed out to the woman beside him as they walked across the airport terminal, (that the villains had kindly decided not to blow up,) to his private jet (which they had also refrained from blowing up for some reason).

"No he wouldn't." She pointed out with a very direct sigh, pulling out her phone and running her finger across the touchscreen, scrolling through another list of emails.

"Or the Apricot."

"No."

"Or what about the Strawberry? That one would have scared you. He could have threatened you with his iodine pips of doom and red paint splurge guns." He teased, shaking her hand a little and trying to get a reaction from her. Pepper was too engrossed in her emails to really take any notice of what he was going on about this time. Unlike him, Virginia Potts still had a company to run, and a lot of very personal press issues to clean up.

The pointed sighs and disdainful looks still didn't seem to be working as they boarded the plane, still accompanied by two new bodyguards that had been hired as suitable extra protection, and checked out as clean and fit enough by her head of security and three flight attendants Pepper didn't realise they needed: "We're already late, why don't you try coming up with a new superhero name for yourself? That should keep you occupied on the flight." She suggested, sitting down in the nearest seat and balancing her phone on the tablet, leaning down to pull out her SPad.

"I was hoping you'd do that." Tony muttered, leaning in behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him, nuzzling into her neck.

"I have work to do." She pointed out, only just managing to slip the clear acrylic panel in her hands in-between their lips, stopping the kiss Tony was obviously about to place on her, gazing straight up at him: "So do you." Pepper liked kissing him. It was something he was incredibly good at, he just hadn't quite managed to work out when was a good time to kiss her, and the whole idea that he could technically do it whenever he wanted even after all these months was still slightly scaring her.

Part of Virginia's mind was still very certain about what she'd told Maya, that she'd been right to get out after one night. But as he pulled away, scowling and complaining loudly, running the usual right hand through his dark hair, she couldn't help but be reminded secretly why she was still sat here watching his ass as he marched off down to the flight deck.

* * *

Anthony Stark was definitely not the most handsome man in the world according to Pepper, Steve Rogers was more like the kind of prince she had always dreamed about, tall and blonde with huge eyes and the strength to sweep her off her feet. A mechanic, with slightly more fat than muscle that was almost five inches shorter than she was, had never quite been what she was daydreaming about in third grade.

Virginia Potts wasn't quite the most beautiful woman Tony had ever met, not that he would ever dare to say it to her face. She was grumpy, moody, slightly too tall and was far too skilled at talking down too him and making him feel like a disobedient three year old. And she was ginger. All his hopes of marrying the entire playboy back-catalogue in one Vegas night would never be satisfied now.

But, to each other, they were perfect, no matter how much they needed to argue on a daily basis or risk everything for each other.

The flight hadn't turned out how Mr Stark had been hoping, She'd managed to finish her work within ten minutes and promptly collapsed asleep on his shoulder, his dreams of finally managing to make her join the mile high club yet again dashed.

Tony sighed, leaning back and running his hands through her hair, splaying the orange between his fingers. Thankfully the flight was calm enough to keep her lulled, she hated flying. That was one thing the billionaire had finally discovered about his partner, she kept a lot of secrets from him. Mid-morning sun was already pouring into the plane, spilling through the window onto his sleeping lover as he kissed her cheek, letting her slip down onto her lap. He still hadn't told her the true story of his airborne barrel of monkeys; the media had their own version of the death defying tale that had saved people's lives. The reporters didn't know how terrified he'd really been, sat in a cupboard with his only remaining trace of modern Stark tech pressed to his temples whilst Rhodey commandeered the boat as far away from Trevor and his house of crazies as possible.

Saving her life had been the scariest thing he'd ever attempted to do. Pepper was the only woman he would ever have considered doing that for, throwing everything away just it make her feel safe and loved again.

Pepper shifted on his lap, yawning and mumbling something completely incoherent under her breath, it was probably directed at him. She always denied it but Tony had noticed her sleep talking when he had been struggling to sleep months ago. Flights never seemed to last long enough when he was actually enjoying them, before they knew it, then plane had landed and they were being herded around again.

* * *

"Can we do anything without the press seeing?" Tony wondered aloud for the millionth time, waving his hand yet again at the herd of hormonal teenagers that were following the press around. The billionaire's other hand had somehow found its way around his ginger PAs, lacing his fingers between hers as the bodyguards attempted to part the crowds. Pepper hated PDA, and Tony holding her hand in public had spent a very long time at the top of the list of ways to reserve yourself a night on the sofa. Since the 'incident" she'd started letting him, every time pretending that she hadn't noticed the affection.

Right now she was too busy concentrating on staying calm to speak to him. Since the day she'd started working with him years ago, she'd had the press to deal with. Usually she managed to deal with them, keeping her temper and a level head whenever they decided to interfere or start asking awkward questions. Today seemed to be the exception to the rule. She kept her gaze on the floor as he took the lead, whatever he was trying to say going over her head like water. She was too focused on convincing herself to stay calm, and she could already feel the heat within her begin to burn like fire in her veins. Having an attack now. An attack in front of Tony and the press after the whole world has been singing his praises for finding a way to cure her would destroy his reputation, and probably burn him and everyone else in the process.

Taking a deep breath, Virginia focused on keeping one foot in front of the other, making a mental note to hire some more bodyguards for these situations.

"Pep, you okay?" Stark muttered when he noticed her lack of reply, tightening his grip slightly. The woman beside him looked up slightly, faking a smile and trying to keep in control, ignoring the sweat and clamour of so many bodies so close together.

"I'm fine, can we go? Please?" She had to stop herself from almost punching one of the male reporters as he got to close, instead opting to gently push him back with her outstretched hand.

He was new to the game, she suddenly realised as he closed his grip around her wrist, using his advantage to pull her around to face him, their noses almost touching.

He was blonde and smartly dressed and not much older than her. Before Pepper could think, her brain was screaming, grabbing for him with her free hand by the throat, his similarities to that man the only thing she could see.

There was an almost audible gasp as the CEO tightened her grip, the unfortunate man's feet suddenly starting to leave the tarmac, golden power starting to swell under the skin of her left hand, raising the kill a little more, the blood coursing from his cheeks as the pressure increased. Heat was already searing though her flesh, scorching the material in her hand as she tried to keep hold of her own mentality, screaming inside her own head.

Tony Stark hadn't noticed until it was slightly too late, yelling something that didn't quite hit her ears as she held her kill. He charged back to her side, grabbing for her. Luckily, even whilst the molten fire was expanding through her veins he could still pull her hands off, catching a glimpse of the red staining his partner's eyes for a microsecond. The unlucky victim collapsed to the floor in a heap, scrambling away on hands and knees, the rest of the crowd just staring.

"Whoa. What did he say? It was that much worse than me on a good day?" He asked, half joking, half serious as he pushed his hand under her chin, checking her and concentrating on her eyes a little too long. They were still the same perfect blue green they always were, he realised in relief, he must have been imagining it. After everything that happened he had already decided his panic was justified. Pepper had a temper and he knew it, everyone who had spent more than five minutes with her did, he'd just never seen her behave like that before.

"H-he looked like..." The woman muttered her own panic at what had come over her mixing with the crocodile tears that always apparently worked in these situations; photos of her crying were much less horrific that of her attempting to kill someone for touching her. The camera bulbs were flashing before she'd had to request it, the CEO of Stark Industries crying was more world exclusive worthy than her attempt to murder a man for touching her. Virginia Potts had just almost shattered her ice queen exterior.

She knew she'd be glad of her own PR abilities in the morning.

Her explanation was all Tony needed to start to hear before he pulled her into his arms, burying himself into the crook of her neck, kissing it and shushing her. The press had at least had the sense to disperse once they had what they needed, leaving the couple in each other's arms as she tried to stop herself shaking, the fake tears had already won his heart for her. The air fell silent for a little while, Pepper trying to loose herself in his warmth, still reeling in horror from what had just happened.

They stayed silence as the limo pulled up, collapsing into the back and slamming the door on the rest of the world. Stark had somehow just about managed to keep hold of her, pulling her down into the leather and keeping her in his arms: 'Virginia." His voice hardened, catching her gaze and almost glaring at her: his calloused hands still wrapped around her manicure "What happened?"

The atmosphere seemed to thicken until you could cut it with a knife, gazing into each other's eyes.

"I-I don't know." She tried to explain, backing away slightly under his gaze: "He just...Killian and I panicked and...You'd gone...like last time..." Her gaze broke his, refocusing on the floor and not bothering to clear the tears away, wishing that her head would stop shrieking. How could she be reducing herself to lying to Tony? Pepper could just tell him exactly what happened.

Glancing up again she caught his expression, the accusation gone as he pulled her close again, kissing her forehead gently: "Pep...He's gone." Tony pointed out, tracing his hand down her cheek: "You saw to that, Killian's never going near you again. He's dead." Tony sighed, weaving his hand into her hair and gazing over at her, ignoring the sour taste her explanation left in his mouth: "I'll always protect the one thing I can't live without." He muttered, pressing their foreheads together as Pepper's grip tightened on his hand "I've got your back."


End file.
